


diamond in the rough

by Anonymous



Series: nct dream baseball au [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Baseball, Drama, Emotional Constipation, Jaemin-centric, M/M, Team Dynamics, ah youth, all my baseball knowledge comes from anime and google, anger management issues, enemies to friends to ??????, heavily inspired by daiya no ace and oofuri, maybe misplaced anger, self-indulgent af, so i wouldnt believe me if i were you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:00:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29795718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: oh, the follies of youth and high-school baseball.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin
Series: nct dream baseball au [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199615
Comments: 3
Kudos: 38
Collections: Anonymous





	diamond in the rough

**Author's Note:**

> this isnt proofread so there might be grammatical errors and some plotholes. wrote this in a fever dream and this isnt my best work but i just really had to let this out of my system lmao (and i might take this work once i get around to editing it...in the future...). So read at your own risk 
> 
> disclaimer: everything i know about baseball comes from anime and poorly researched data I gathered from the first page of google searches so if you Know baseball and see something weird, please Look Away. 
> 
> so without further ado [plays Alps]

The sun is high and the heat is searing.

Jaemin brings hand up to his forehead, shielding his eyes from the sun as he scans the people scattered around the field. He sees nothing but fresh faces.

_It's hopeless. Never mind the summer tournament. Would they even win practice matches?_

Jaemin sighs and runs a hand through his hair, slouching deeper into the bench. What bad luck. He could've gone to a school with a distinguished baseball team. He'd been scouted to one, of course, but unfortunately, he had no choice but to give it up. 

His parents didn't believe in sports. It's funny because he'd achieved so much in that field and yet his parents still don't see his potential. And because his parents don't care about his well-being in general, they'd planned on moving because of their work without consulting Jaemin whatsoever. 

And now, he's stuck here. In a no-name school in the middle of nowhere. It was fine, naturally. But Jaemin can't live without baseball and luckily (the only slip of luck the universe had allowed him), the boring school thought it was the perfect time to revive their athletic teams.

So he's here, in the middle of a newly cleared field with a bunch of other people he doesn't know. 

"Ah, it’s nice to see so many young faces." 

Jaemin turns his head and sees a tall guy in a baseball uniform. He's young, maybe just graduated from university, but he looks built and strong. A novice coach? Again, _hopeless._

"I’m your coach, Nakamoto Yuta." 

But again, maybe Jaemin should resign himself to this situation. At least he's still playing and that should be enough, right? 

_Right?_

He clenches his fist, feels all the ugly emotions taking him over when the coach calls his out name.

"Na Jaeminㅡ" 

Jaemin blinks out of his reverie, startled, and looks up. The newbie coach is staring at him and it's unnerving because Jaemin feels like the coach has already grasped him, already knows everything to know about him. Jaemin gulps.

"ㅡcatcher? Is that right?" Yuta reads from a clipboard he's holding. 

Jaemin nods wordlessly, feeling, somehow, like a deer caught in the headlights.

"First year. You've been playing ever since you were young, played as the starting catcher ever since you entered your junior high baseball team, which, commendably, always placed either second or third in tournaments. You won MVP twice in your entire run." 

Jaemin listens to the coach list his achievements. Jaemin is silent, feeling frustrated. These are practically the reasons why he shouldn't be playing in an amateur team from a no-name school located in the middle of nowhere. 

Yuta whistles. "Impressive record, Na Jaemin. You could've gone anywhere with this. To be honest, I'm surprised you're even here."

Jaemin holds himself back from saying 'me too' and just clenches his fist. The other students sitting on the benches glance at him. 

"I won't ask the reason why because you're probably reluctant to share your personal problems with people you've just met. So, relax." 

Jaemin doesn't relax.

"You're plenty talented and your baseball sense is top tier. But I know the kind of catcher you are," the coach stares at him square in the eyes, his gaze sharpening to a point. "I've been there, Na." 

That last bit is warning. For what, Jaemin doesn't know. He doesn't say anthing more, listens in silence as coach continues to read the profiles of his future teammates.

"Lee Donghyuck?" 

A boy with tan skin and bright hair salutes the coach. "Yo!" 

The coach frowns. "Don't 'yo' me." 

Lee Donghyuck throws his head back and laughs. "Oops, my bad. Sorry, coach. Won't do it again." 

That gets a nod from the coach. "Right. So. Lee Donghyuck. First year. Shortstop and leadoff. Played in every game back in your junior high team. Leadoff, huh? You fast, Lee?" 

"I'll leave that up to you, coach," Lee Donghyuck winks, earning snickers from the other players. Jaemin scoffs inwardly. 

"Hmm. Guess we'll see during our first practice," Yuta is composed. "Next. Mark Lee?" 

Jaemin perks up. Mark Lee? He's heard that name before, he just doesn't remember where…

"Here, coach," a lean, brown-haired boy raises his hand. Jaemin takes stock of him. He looks familiar too. 

"Mark Lee. First year. Second baseman and cleanup hitter. Captain of your junior high team." 

Murmurs break out as the other students react. Jaemin sees Lee Donghyuck’s mouth shape into an ‘o’. Another one raises his eyebrow. 

"Another impressive profile,” Yuta comments, grinning down at his clipboard. Mark Lee smiles and bows his head humbly. Jaemin remembers now. Jaemin has seen him play back in junior high. Mark Lee is _good_. He’d noted his strong arm and the homeruns he’d been able to score. 

Mark Lee is a chance. They just might be able to win a few practice games. 

“Next. Lee Jeno?”

“Here, coach,” a dark-haired boy says. He’s built.

“First year. Center Fielder and you used to bat third. Starter in your junior high team. Batting average: 1.000,” coach says with a hint of incredulity. 

Lee Jeno? Jaemin hasn’t heard of him. But judging from his profile, he seems promising. Another chance. As Jaemin contemplates what he could do with two more than average players, the coach continues his roll call. The only ones worthy of note are Park Jisung and Zhong Chenle. Park Jisung’s a third baseman and bats 2nd while Zhong Chenle is a third baseman and bats 5th. 

When Yuta stops his roll call, Jaemin straightens, confused. _That’s all of them?_

“We don’t have a pitcher,” Lee Donghyuck says, his comment not particularly directed at anyone but everyone around the circle is aware of such fact. 

“Actually we do, he justㅡand speak of the devil.”

Jaemin follows Yuta’s gaze until he spots the newcomer. The boy is short and his shoulders are small. Does this guy even exercise? He’s walking towards them at a slow pace, completely unconscious of his tardiness. But he picks up his pace once he sees that they're all looking at him. His hair is long, longer than it should be for a baseball player and they drop over his forehead, the tips brushing his eyelashes. Jaemin frowns.

“Are you Huang Renjun?” Yuta asks him when he finally approaches the circle they had unconsciously made. They’ve been moving close when Yuta called them; they're now forming a semi-circle around him. 

Huang Renjun pushes back his hair. “Yeah. Sorry for being late.”

Jaemin closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Just when he thought nothing could get worse, the universe had to give him an idiot for a pitcher. Everything about Huang Renjun’s countenance screamed weak. He looks spiritless but not dead; a promise of a temper. Pitchers are all different, none of them the same. Jaemin would know. They’re idiosyncratic in their own ways. It’s a matter of tempering them, like chocolateㅡ how the catcher and the team handle their pitcher could make or break their season. 

“Don’t ‘yeah’ me,” Yuta narrows his eyes, before turning to a teacher behind him. Probably their supervising teacher. “Don’t they teach manners to kids nowadays?”

The supervising teacher clears his throat. “It’s probably because you don’t command such respect, Coach Nakamoto.”

The coach gasps. “That was uncalled for. But you may be right." 

Jaemin takes another deep breath.

"Anyway," Yuta turns back to them, his arms spread. “That’s all of us. And I have to say, not bad. We’re going to start our first practice tomorrow but today, I just want you all to get to know each other.”

“Wait, coach,” Jaemin says, raising a hand to catch Yuta’s attention, his eyes never leaving the pitcher. “I think it’s just as important for you to read Huang Renjun’s profile like you read ours. He’s going to be our pitcher. We have to know.”

Jaemin sees Mark and Donghyuck nod in agreement from the corner of his eye. Huang Renjun turns to him and raises an eyebrow. Jaemin doesn’t back down and crosses his arms. 

“He has none,” Yuta says, shrugging. “But it’s fine. We’re a new team, we can start by buildingㅡ”

“What do you mean ‘he has none’ㅡ” Jaemin blurts. Then catches himself and adds a quiet, “ㅡcoach?”

Yuta stares at him, his eyes growing dark. “What I mean by ‘he has none’ is that he has _none_ , Na Jaemin. I already told you that I know what kind of catcher you are, Na. I held on to that possibility that maybe I was wrong. Don’t make me question myself, again.”

Jaemin purses his lips. Then looks away but not before sneaking a glance at the pitcher. The pitcher has a smirk on his face, his eyes glinting as he stares condescendingly at Jaemin. _Asshole_. He can’t believe he has to form a battery with a newbie. 

“Now, can everyone stop being so dramatic?” Yuta asks. The team is quiet. “Good. Now, I want you to get to know each other. Stay on the field, throw some balls, exchange some school gossip or whatever. I don’t care what you all do as long as you’re interacting with each other in some way or another. But no fighting. If you have to fight, curse at each other verbally cause god, I know how emotional you teenagers get. No one will be walking off this field with bruises. Got it?”

The speech stuns all of them, their minds racing to catch up with what their…unconventional coach just said. 

“Jaemin and Renjun, come with me,” Yuta adds as he turns and walks away from the field to the direction of the bullpen. 

Jaemin follows the coach, having no choice but to follow Yuta. He doesn't even bother to check whether the pitcher is following or not. He makes it to the bullpen where Yuta hands him a glove. Yuta hands Renjun a glove and a ball. 

“I have to work on you two earlier than the others,” Yuta explains. “Jaemin, I know you can teach Renjun everything you need to know about pitching and I would appreciate it if you could get off your high-horse and guide Renjun for the betterment of the team, yeah?”

Jaemin goes rigid and stares at Yuta. 

Yuta smirks at him and clicks his tongue.“I make it an effort to know my players, Jaemin. I’ve seen the class lists and identified my potential players. I’ve watched games and read papers.”

“Then why did you act so surprised during the roll call?”

“For fun,” Yuta says, his eyes glimmering with mischief. He’s not only annoying but also crazy, Jaemin notes. “Okay, I’ll leave you two to it. Don’t kill each other while I’m gone.”

Then he leaves, leaving behind a vacuum that Jaemin wishes he could disappear into. Jaemin wears his glove and clenches it. He really can’t believe this. But he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do. _As long as he’s playing, as long as he gets to play baseball, as long as he gets to step onto the field,_ he tells himself over and over again. 

“Hey.”

Huang Renjun turns to him with the same cold gaze. “What?”

“Why did you sign up for this club?” Jaemin grits his teeth, not at all happy with Renjun's attitude. 

The pitcher doesn’t even flinch. “Because I wanted to. Got a problem with that?” Renjun bites back, his stare becoming something fierce.

 _Who does he think he is?_ Jaemin takes a step closer to the smaller boy.

“Yeah, actually, I do,” Jaemin says icily. “Do you even know how to pitch? Do you know how baseball even works?”

“Obviously. Or else I wouldn’t have signed up. You know, you should really take coach’s advice and get off your high-horse.”

Jaemin glares at him and the other glares back. Jaemin’s so frustrated he could scream. Renjun glares back, the corner of his lips twitching.

“Look, I don’t know what your problem is but I just came here to play and have fun,” Renjun says, gripping the ball tight in his hand. “I know I’m not as experienced as some of you and I know I’m not as skilled either. But I came here to learn. I may not have played any official games but I have practiced. I worked hard to be able to pitch on my own. And yeah, I’ve practiced without a proper coach or a proper team. So what? That doesn’t make me inferior to you. I know I can pitch and I know I will.”

Jaemin clenches his jaw, hackles rising at the determination in Renjun’s eyes. Baseball is everything to Jaemin. If he can’t go anywhere here, he may not be able to go anywhere at all. He wants to play every single day of his life. He wasn’t going to let a newbie pitcher ruin that dream.

“Then show me,” Jaemin snaps. “Pitch.”

Jaemin moves to the other side of the pen and crouches. He raises his mitt. Renjun glares at him for a second before going to the other side. Jaemin watches his form. Renjun raises his elbows and then his leg, then lunges and twists his hip. The ball flies from his fingers and into Jaemin’s mitt with a _bam._

 _Slow_. 

Of course, Jaemin didn't expect it to be fast. Not at all. It moves a bit but the course is still easy to follow. They won’t win any games like this. Jaemin’s not disappointed. How can he when he had no expectations at all? 

Jaemin stands up and says, “Get off the mound.”

Renjun stills then tilts his chin up in defiance. “No.”

“You can’t even fucking pitch,” Jaemin says piercingly.

“Then fucking teach me, asshole,” Renjun shouts, his expression going dark. “You’re supposed to teach me not patronize me. Just how big is the stick up your ass, huh?”

“You think you can get strikes with that lame ass pitch? I understand you’ve never played an official game but you told me you practiced elsewhere,” Jaemin gibes. “You made a huge deal about how you worked hard despite your circumstances. Well, where is it? Where’s your hard work, huh? Your form is sloppy; your pitch is slow. I’ve seen enough.”

“You fucker,” Renjun says, his eyebrows furrowing and his jaw set. He’s seething and his shoulders are shaking. Jaemin doesn’t care, Renjun can leave the team. Mark or Jeno would be able to learn how to pitch faster. Or even Donghyuck. “I don’t know why you’re such a cold-hearted asshole and you know what? I don’t even care. But no matter how good you are or how experienced you are, you don’t get to invalidate all the years I’ve spent teaching myself how to pitch and how to play the game. We’re supposed to be partnersㅡ a battery. Now, I know we can never be one.”

Jaemin scoffs and crosses his arms, glaring. Renjun doesn’t break eye contact as he crosses over to his side, his steps sure and impassioned. 

“But despite that, I won’t back down. I know you want me to leave the team. I know you think I’m not good enough, that I don’t have any potential. But I won’t be deterred. I will make baseball my own even if I don’t have your respect or anyone else’s. I will play in this team and I know, if I do get betterㅡand I willㅡ it won’t be because of you.”

There’s less than a meter between them. None of them are budging. Jaemin sees the fight in Renjun’s eyes, sees his own mirrored in them as well. It infuriates Jaemin, the way this lowly pitcher can spout impossibilities in front of him. Like will power alone will be enough. Jaemin has standards, alright. That’s for sure. And there’s no way Renjun will ever be able to meet it. 

Renjun leaves but not before bumping his shoulder into Jaemin’s. Jaemin doesn’t flinch, doesn’t move an inch. _Good riddance,_ he thinks. 

“What’s this?” Yuta says from the entrance. “Don’t tell me you turned away our only pitcher, Na.”

“I didn’t,” Jaemin says, his tone still frosty from the previous conversation with Renjun. 

“Then why isn’t he here with you?” Yuta crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow at him. Jaemin sighs. He needs to plan something. They still have a pitcher but Jaemin refuses to become a battery with him. They still need to have a relief pitcher anyway. 

“Coach,” he says. “Maybe we should get another pitcher. We need at least two, don’t we? That guy won’t be enough.”

Coach Yuta gives him a look. “Seems like the rumors aren’t just rumors, after all.”

Jaemin stills. “What?”

Yuta ignores him and looks away for a minute, looking pensive. “Alright. I’ll get another pitcher.”

Jaemin nods, suddenly enthused. 

“But I’ll also get another catcher,” Yuta smirks at Jaemin, who deflates at the implication. “You _will_ form a battery with Renjun, Jaemin. No ifs and buts. Or else, I’ll make you the relief catcher. And I’ll really do it too.”

Jaemin blanches at that. “You can’t do this, coachㅡ”

“Oh? Who says I can’t?” Yuta says, tilting his head and arching a brow. “I’m not too concerned about losing a talent like you, Jaemin. I don’t need a player who won’t play for the team.”

Coach Yuta walks away, never looking back even once.

Jaemin's hands are tied. He could play but only if he wastes time teaching a rookie. Which is crazy because Jaemin knows any semblance of friendship that could have blossomed between them is now gone. He can barely even stand the guy and now, he has to waste precious time with him? Coach doesn’t know what he’s doing. 

Jaemin grabs his mitt and throws it to the ground in frustration. 

ㅡ

“Before we start practice, we have to discuss something very important,” Yuta says. “Who’s gonna be the captain of this team.”

It’s their first practice and they’re all in their uniforms. Jaemin adjusts his cap. 

“Since we live in democratic times, I figure you boys should all vote for whomever you want,” Coach Yuta says. 

Immediately, Huang Renjun raises his hand and says, “Our captain should be Mark. I think he can lead the team well and keep us all in line.” At the last bit, Jaemin swears he saw the pitcher’s eyes flick towards him. Jaemin rolls his eyes. 

“I agree!” Lee Donghyuck nods. His sentence is followed by sounds of agreement. Jaemin actually agrees as well so he gives a curt nod. 

“Alright, it’s decided,” Yuta claps his hands. “Mark Lee, you up for the job?”

Mark is grinning, his hands fixing the ballcap on his head. “Of course, coach! You can count on me.”

"How dependable,” Yuta nods approvingly. Jaemin has to agree. Mark Lee is an outstanding player and Jaemin has no qualms with him as captain. “Now that that’s over, let’s do drills.”

They all gather around the field and do drills. Most of them are the regular drills and Jaemin finds himself speedily accomplishing them. It’s like second nature to him. As they’re jogging around the field, he drags his gaze and scans their group. Most of them are keeping pace, with Mark leading the group. But some of them are lagging behind and Jaemin notices without surprise that Huang Renjun is at the back of the group. He’s not breathing as heavily but his fatigue is obvious. Jaemin averts his eyes. _Slow, unstable form. Lacks endurance and stamina. What does this pitcher have to offer?_

After the drills, Coach Yuta lets them have a break. They huddle under the dugout, drinking water and wiping their sweat. Jaemin is sipping from his water bottle when Mark Lee approaches him. 

“Jaemin, right?” He says, his voice gravelly but firm. Jaemin nods. 

Mark grins. “Right. Cool. So, I’ve been thinking that maybe you should get more practice time with Renjun. He’s new but he’s very eager to learn. It might be hard but he picks things up fastㅡ”

“Mark,” Jaemin cuts him off mid-sentence. Mark quiets down. “Do you really think we can win any games with a new pitcher? I don’t know about you but I’m here to win until I never have to leave the field. As it stands, he won’t be of any use to us.”

Mark is silent for a moment. Then he sighs and crosses his arms. “Is that how you see your teammates? We’re not tools for you to use, Jaemin. In fact, none of us are tools for anything. I don’t know about you either but I’m not here just to win games. I’m here to have fun and make new friends. I know I can hardly convince you since we just met and I’ve just been recently appointed as captain, but maybe human decency should be enough to persuade you to help your fellow teammates.”

Jaemin is not convinced. Mark is skilled but Jaemin doesn’t agree with his goal. To have fun? That’s a given, sure. But the fun stops once you’re off the field, once you’ve lost and you’re faced with the reality that things might’ve gone differently if you didn’t have such a lousy pitcher. The pitcher is the most essential to the defense of the team. To place that burden on someone with no skill nor experience like Huang Renjun is futile.

“Hate to break it to you, Cap,” Lee Donghyuck sneaks up behind Mark, his gaze sharp. It’s different from the boisterous facade he usually has on. “But I don’t think the word ‘teammate’ is even in his dictionary. I know about you, Na Jaemin and I’m honestly not ecstatic at all that we’re in the same team.”

Jaemin grips his water bottle. _What is it with the people here claiming to know him?_

“I thought you’d enter those snooty schools and join a distinguished team where everyone would be able to pass your shitty standards,” Donghyuck looks at Mark and then nods in Jaemin's direction. “Have you heard of this guy, Mark? He’s a catcher but he’s too picky when it comes to his pitchers. His standards are way too high that no one could ever reach it. That’s why he can never play a full game, his previous coach won’t allow it. Every time his pitcher doesn’t deliver the pitch he wants, he’d go wild on the fieldㅡ”

“Shut up,” Jaemin interjects, his knuckles white over his water bottle. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

Donghyuck’s smirk is malicious. “Moon Taeil is my cousin. I don’t know if that name rings a bell because your head is so full of crap to remember anything but maybe that’d give you the idea on why I’m not too keen on playing friends with you.”

With that, he walks away and joins Renjun on the other side of the field. He’s teaching him how to hold the ball properly. Mark follows them with his eyes before he turns back to Jaemin with a frown. 

Moon Taeil. Jaemin stiffens. Contrary to what Donghyuck thinks, Jaemin remembers. He always remembers. 

“Jaemin, are you okay?” Mark asks, his hand on Jaemin’s shoulder. Jaemin shakes himself out of his stupor. 

“I don’t understand what happened between you and Donghyuck and I can’t judge you because I don’t know you all that well. But I hope you at least consider what I just said. I also want to win but baseball is a team sport,” Mark stares at him intently. “We can’t move forward if we aren’t united as a team.”

“Lee! Na! Enough, chit-chat!” Yuta yells from the other side of the field. The other players are already starting on catching and batting exercises. Mark grips his shoulder once before letting go to join the others. Jaemin follows momentarily.

 _Fuck_ . 

They go about batting, catching, and fielding. Jaemin pays special attention to the five who caught his attention. Lee Donghyuck is alright, he bats well, he jumps all over the place but with purpose. He catches a fast ball once and is able to twist his body and throw at seemingly impossible angles. His athleticism is annoying. He's an instinctive player, all reflex and energy. It annoys Jaemin but he'll be important as the leadoff. Mark Lee is even more outstanding. He has a keen eye and doesn't swing at balls. He's able to shift his hold on the bat a few seconds before taking a decisive swing. He has a strong arm and is quick on his feet. He's all honed technique and passion. His presence on the field is electrifying. But Jaemin notes something a bit off. He's fast but it looks like he's holding back. He leans away from his right side. Weird. 

Lee Jeno is an excellent batter. He doesn't miss a single ball in batting practice. His swing has power and his arm is like a cannon. He’s able to throw from the center outfield to homebase. Jeno is strength and skill. He'd make a game-changing cleanup hitter. Park Jisung is a decent batter and he’s insanely good at fielding. He’s fast and flexible. He listens well and is a fast learner. Zhong Chenle is an all-rounder. He’s good at batting, he swings with resolve, and is good at fielding. He’s flexible and athletic. Jaemin acknowledges his no-nonsense personality and straightforwardness. 

Then, there’s Huang Renjun. Jaemin still has no expectations. Huang Renjun can hit, but he can’t hit well. He’s fairly decent at fielding, Jaemin’s got to give him that. He’s alert and makes sure he knows what's happening on the field. And Mark’s right, he picks things up fast. 

But that doesn’t mean anything. Huang Renjun’s a pitcherㅡor so he says. What ultimately matters is his pitching. He lacks power, from what the batting practice showed, and from what Jaemin gleaned from the drills earlier, he also lacks stamina. Moreover, he lacks ball control. And technique in general.

Jaemin chews on his lip and taps his feet, feeling irritated all of a sudden. Coach had told him that if he wanted to play, he had to teach and work on Renjun. He’s still against training a new pitcher but as it stands, he has no choice. He crosses his arms tight. He doesn’t want to do it, doesn’t want to take back whatever he said to Renjun yesterday because he knows he’s right. But he has no fucking choice. He wants to scream.

“Jaemin-hyung, are you alright?” Park Jisung says beside him, looking at him inquiringly. 

“Why are you calling me ‘hyung’?” Jaemin asks. 

“Ah,” Jisung giggles a little and rubs the back of his neck. And he’s about to continue when Chenle steps up beside him and slings his arm around his neck. 

“Hyung, Jisung and I are actually a year younger than all of you. We got accelerated a grade,” Chenle explains in what is becoming his trademark blunt manner. 

Jaemin nods. “I see. Good for both of you. I guess.”

Chenle laughs at his casual reply and Jisung smiles. 

“Wow, do you see what I’m seeing, Jeno? Na Jaemin is actually being so friendly to his fellow teammates! Woah!”

Jaemin turns to see Donghyuck staring at them in shock. It’s an exaggerated expression, something comical. Jaemin glares at him. 

And he’s about to open his mouth to say something when Yuta interrupts. “God, I leave you all for two freaking minutes and you’re already picking fights with each other?”

Jaemin and Donghyuck look at each other for a brief moment then look away, frowning. 

Yuta sighs. “I guess you all need to do more ‘bonding’ than I thought. Anyway, Mark, I’ll leave you to continue practice, make sure everyone’s doing whatever they have to do. You know how it goes.”

“Yes, coach!”

“Jaemin and Renjun,” Yuta calls them and motions for them to follow him again. “It’s time for your daily bonding session. Aren’t you excited, Jaemin?”

Jaemin stiffens, gritting his teeth. Renjun’s lip twitches. He lets out a poorly restrained snort. Jaemin hates everyone on this team. 

Jaemin and Renjun follow Coach Yuta to the bullpen they were at yesterday. They stand a good few meters away from each other, not looking in eacg other’s direction. Yuta notices the tense atmosphere. 

“I know you both hate each other,” Yuta starts, already massaging his temples from the pain that comes with dealing with two emotional teenagers. “And that’s fine, really. By all means, ignore each other, do whatever floats your boats. But here’s the thing: I want both of you to talk. Even if you don’t talk off the field, I want both of you to communicate on it. I mentioned yesterday that I want both of you to form a battery. I still do. And if you don’t, I won’t let both of you play and we’ll have to either make Mark or Donghyuck pitch and make Jeno catch. But that would be a great waste of potential for the three of them. So, I’m stuck with you two idiots.”

Renjun looks sick and Jaemin maintains a blank expression. He’s heard this before. 

“So, here’s what we’re going to do,” Yuta continues. “I’ll have Renjun on a different program. You’re going to work on strengthening your base and eventually finding what form suits you best. You’re going to throw at least 120 balls everyday. And Jaemin, you’re going to have to catch all of them. I want you to support Renjun in any way you can, put that baseball knowledge of yours to good use. Create your signs and talk about the kinds of pitches, find the pitch that he can learn easily. Focus on fastballs first. Got it?”

Renjun nods, his lips set in a thin line. Jaemin clenches his fist but nods anyway, knowing there’s no use in arguing with a madman like Coach Yuta. He has to shape this rookie into a pitcher that can at least get strikeouts in less than five months before the season starts. He has no other choice if he wants to play baseball. 

“Good, I’m glad the both of you are so docile today,” Coach Yuta is grinning, his eyes glimmering. “Don’t kill each other while I’m gone.” That’s quickly becoming his parting line. Jaemin watches him strut away. 

They’re enveloped in silence, neither one willing to throw away their pride to talk to the other first. Minutes tick by and still, nothing. Until finally, Jaemin remembers that time wasted is time they could never take back, and with his mission, he needs all the time he can get. So he opens his mouth andㅡ

“Soㅡ”

“Lookㅡ”

For the first time today, they look at each other. Renjun is frowning at him, chewing on his lower lip. Jaemin is glaring at him, his eyebrow knitted. They spoke at the same time and, if anything, it just made the tension thicker. 

“Let’s get this over with,” Renjun breaks the silence first and puts his mitt on. He grabs a ball from the boxes and moves to stand on the mound. Jaemin hates to admit it but he agrees with Renjun. He doesn’t say anything and crouches down on the other side, raising his mitt and staring at the pitcher straight on. The pitcher meets his gaze and starts throwing. 

They wordlessly go about their practice; Renjun pitching as slowly as ever and Jaemin standing up a few times to catch balls. Jaemin takes this chance to figure out the best course of action for Renjun. He still doesn’t believe Renjun’s going to be something great but he has to at least make him useful until they get a better pitcher. 

Around the 85th throw, Jaemin holds up his other hand and stands up. Renjun squints his eyes in confusion but straightens anyway. 

“What now?” Renjun says with his usual bite. 

“Your stance is too wobbly, you should fix your footing. Try digging your heels deeper into the ground,” Jaemin says as emotionlessly as he can. He ignores the way Renjun’s eyebrows drift upwards. “And tighten your grip on the ball, your arm isn’t the cannon you think it is. We’ll work on building your muscles tomorrow.”

Then just as quickly as he stood up, he sits back down, punches into his mitt, and settles into a crouch. Renjun is evidently shaken, his lips pursed and his chin raised a little, as if he was in the middle of nodding but caught himself just in time. 

Jaemin isn’t too thrilled about what just happened either so he speaks up again, “What are you waiting for? Pitch.”

It works and brings Renjun back to reality. The pitcher has his hair in a low ponytail and he adjusts it before going back to position and glaring at Jaemin. Jaemin observes the pitcher consciously fixing his form, shifting around more than usual. And he takes a bit more time before throwing, probably shifting his grip around the ball. At least the pitcher is listening.

By the 97th throw, Jaemin feels the ball hit his mitt heavier, the sound rounder than before. 

By the 106th throw, Jaemin doesn’t find himself standing to catch. His ball control is improving. 

By the 110th throw, the ball whizzes into his mitt at a slightly faster pace. 

Jaemin nods at Renjun for the first time by the 112th throw. 

Renjun smiles for the first time by the 118th throw. 

ㅡ

Practice the next day starts the same. Mark still leads, Donghyuck is still insanely athletic and full of energy, Jeno is as calm as ever, and Jisung and Chenle still won’t shut up. The only difference is that Renjun isn’t with them, working on a different exercise regimen more tailored to pitchers. It includes exercise with lunges, squats, basically everything since Renjun’s basic pitching form is still ambiguous. 

“Hey, Jaemin,” Mark slows down so he could sidle up next to Jaemin. They’re currently jogging around the field. 

Jaemin doesn’t say anything, focusing on his breathing, and just inclines his head towards Mark to show that he’s listening. 

“I want you to help me,” Mark starts. “There’s going to be a long weekend coming up next month and coach is planning a trip for us. He’s been talking to other schools and they’re scheduling a series of practice games.”

That catches Jaemin off-guard. Okay so Coach Yuta may be a little capable despite his eccentric personality. God knows they need all the practice they can get, especially in practice matches with other teams. 

“I also want to hold a little fun activity for us during that weekend, just a simple get together where we can get to know each other a little better,” Mark smiles at him. “Do you have any suggestions?”

“Why don’t you ask Donghyuck?” Jaemin says, gesturing towards the golden-haired boy. “He’s the outgoing type. He’s probably bursting with fun.”

“Did someone say ‘fun’?”

Jaemin spots Donghyuck slowing down so he could talk to Mark. Glad that Mark’s finally found someone else to talk to, Jaemin jogs faster until he’s at the top of the pack. Jeno jogs beside him. They do nothing more than exchange nods. 

ㅡ

Practice drags on for another month.

The team’s doing better, they’ve reached the point where they can joke around and laugh together. Jaemin thinks it’s easy, having a Lee Donghyuck around to glue them all together, but he won’t dare say that out loud. He’s still wary of Donghyuck, doesn’t want to get too close to someone related to his past. Coach is still as crazy as ever, his trademark smirk and his usual quips don’t bother them anymore. 

And Renjun. Renjun’s doing better. Still far from the pitcher he should be but it’s a start. Jaemin gets a sense of satisfaction from how far the pitcher has come but his pride gets in the way, so he does nothing more than nod when he wants to express approval. Renjun rolls his eyes at him like it’s routine and does nothing more than shake his head in disagreement or nod in affirnative. They don’t go past baseball talk. And even when they do talk, it’s nothing more than clipped sentences and brief exchange of words.

It’s a week away from their baseball camp. Everyone’s excited, ready to finally put their practice and their teamwork to the test. Jaemin, for one, isn’t as excited as he should be. Renjun is still not ready, he’s barely gotten a fastball down. Sure, his speed is improving and he’s slowly developing his own form. They still haven’t decided on signs. This is the worst. 

Jaemin wants to win something, wants to win this game so badly it hurts. Offense won’t be that hard, he has faith in Mark and Jenoㅡthank fuck for themㅡ but he’s not convinced with their defense. 

“Jaemin, come here for a second,” Coach motions for him in the middle of batting practice. Jaemin puts the bat back and approaches Yuta. 

“What is it, coach?” Jaemin asks.

Coach blinks. “You’re different today. Finally got rid of that stick?”

Jaemin closes his eyes and breathes deeply. 

And of fucking course the madman of a coach finds joy in such display because he sniggers a little. “I’m kidding, kid, relax,” Yuta says after a while. 

Jaemin doesn’t relax. 

“Anyway,” Coach Yuta smirks. “You’ve been catching Renjun’s pitches everyday, like I ordered. I’m proud of you. And just slightly shocked but hey, you’re hard to understand and really, I accept that. The complexity suits you somehowㅡ”

“Coach.”

“Right. Now, about Renjun’s pitches. I’ve been watching and his form seems to have improved. The speed of his balls is increasing every day. He’s getting better and I know you’re too prideful to admit that but please, back that improvement up by talking to each other. You'll never become an effective battery if you don't. Communicate as batteries should. ”

“But we are talking!”

“You insult each other under the guise of offering advice. I don’t know how you both do it but that’s not talking. Look, I’m not asking both of you to exchange childhood memories of your imaginary friends or your favorite mathematical equations but please, for the love of god, teach him what you know and guide him. Share your experiences. He lacks support from the other half of his battery. Because, let me tell you, he’s getting better but not because you’re catching for him. ”

Jaemin frowns at that. “What do you mean? Of course he’s improving because I’m catching.”

Yuta blinks at him then laughs. “You really don’t care about him, do you?”

Jaemin snorts. 

“If you want to win games and want to stay on the field as much as possible maybe you should start caring about your partner,” Yuta says. Jaemin’s eye twitches at the word ‘partner’. “Stay for a bit after practice. Then, you’ll see.”

Jaemin stares at Yuta as he walks away, unblinking. After practice? 

He flicks his eyes to Renjun, who’s lying down on the ground, throwing a ball up, practicing ball control. His eye twitches. 

“Get up,” Jaemin says, standing over the pitcher. 

Renjun catches the ball and sits up, offering nothing more than a glare. “What do you want, Na?”

“I said ‘get up’,” Jaemin says through clenched teeth. 

“And I said ‘what do you want’,” Renjun snaps back. “I won’t get up just because you tell me to, asshole. I don’t have enough respect for you to follow whatever you say.”

“Then don’t get up,” Jaemin’s anger flares. “Don’t get better. Don’t listen to me when I’m finally offering you the guidance that coach fucking wants me to give.”

Renjun’s glare turns sharper. He’s still sitting down on the ground. “I don’t need or want your guidance, Na. I don’t think any advice from a stuck-up asshole like you will help me at all.”

Jaemin clenches his fist. Then, practically spitting, he says, “Fine.”

They don’t throw 120 balls at each other today. 

But Jaemin does stay a bit after practice. He lurks behind the dugout and notices that the lights near the bullpen are still lit. He moves toward it quietly and peeks behind a barrier. 

It’s Huang. He’s pitching to a net. And Donghyuck is beside him. Huang is visibly sweating from exertion but he’s still pitching, nodding at whatever Donghyuck is telling him. Jaemin can’t hear what he’s saying but by his gestures, Donghyuck is probably commenting on his pitching. What would Donghyuck know about pitchingㅡ

 _“Moon Taeil is my cousin_ . _”_

Jaemin closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. 

He lingers for a bit, observing the way Renjun digests information and basks in Donghyuck’s praises. 

That night, Jaemin sees Renjun throw a four-seam fastball. 

ㅡ

_“I will play in this team and I know, if I do get betterㅡand I willㅡ it won’t be because of you.”_

He remembers the determination in Renjun’s face.

_“He’s getting better but not because you’re catching for him.”_

He remembers the disapproval in Coach’s eyes.

Jaemin leaves without looking back. 

He doesn’t sleep that night.

ㅡ

Renjun and Jaemin continue their practice the next day. Renjun’s on his 50th throw when he suddenly drops his arms and tilts his chin up. 

“Hey. Jackass.”

Jaemin doesn’t look at him. Can’t bring himself to look at the pitcher.

“Fine. Be that way. Just thought I’d update you and tell you I can now throw fastballs.”

Jaemin hears the pride in his voice. Jaemin doesn’t need to be updated. He knows about it, knew since last night. He grits his teeth and says, “Then show it.”

“Would it hurt you to show more emotion than your usual douche attitude?” Renjun sneers. “Or would it hurt your pride too much? I get that you’re an asshole, Na, but I thought you’d at least act more professional.”

“Huang,” Jaemin finally meets his gaze. “Shut up and pitch."

With a final glare, Renjun gets into position. His form is now solid and his limbs are stable. He raises his leg and arms, doesn’t break eye contact with him, then throws his arm back. 

_Bam!_

Jaemin catches the fastball without blinking. 

ㅡ

The next day, they discuss signs. Jaemin, for the first time, listens attentively to Renjun’s suggestions instead of tersely shooting them down. 

"Since when?"

"Huh?"

"Since when have you been staying late after practice?" 

Silence. 

Then: "Since the very first day." 

"I see." 

The team notices a shift in their dynamic. Mark exchanges a glance with Donghyuck. Coach Yuta smiles a little. 

It’s a small shift. But it’s a start.

ㅡ

It’s the first day of their string of practice games. And they had traveled to the city to challenge schools in other districts that are much stronger than the schools in their area. Coach Yuta has surprisingly strong contacts, getting two other schools in the metro that had a decent team standing. 

They unload their bags when they arrive at the school where the games will be held. The campus is bigger, the buildings more pristine and more sophisticated-looking. If Jaemin’s parents hadn’t moved, he may have gone to an established school like this one. 

They follow after Yuta, tittering about and gazing around their surroundings with bright eyes. The team is buzzing with palpable excitementㅡDonghyuck’s laughing more, Mark’s nagging, Jeno is actually joking around, and Coach is surprisingly serious. Renjun is silent but he’s smiling. But Jaemin doesn’t miss the way his hands shake as he over gesticulates while talking to Donghyuck. Jaemin looks away. _What a mess_. 

“I want you boys to have fun today,” Yuta says once they arrive at the field and settle into the dugout. Mark beckons the team to gather and sit down in front of Yuta. “You’re going to make mistakes today; you’re going to swing too early or too late, you’re going to misthrow, you’re going to panic on that field. But that’s fine. This is your first game as a team so I expect some adjustment issues. So learn from whatever will happen today and work on them. This is a chance. And we’re going to take it with everything we got. Alright?”

Jaemin wants to win. 

But with a team like this, he doesn’t think they can. He glances at the other side of the field, where the other team just settled down. Their Coach is coming over and raising his arms to welcome Yuta. Coach leaves them and approaches him to return the gesture. They’re talking animatedly. Jaemin wonders who exactly Yuta was before he came to be the coach of a newly-formed baseball team in a lowly school. 

ㅡ

They didn’t win the first game. 

Jaemin tried to call plays to the best of his abilities and he likes to think he called the right ones. But what use will those be if they can’t even be executed properly? 

Renjun was nervous. Terribly so. His barely there ball control was non-existent and his focus was everywhere. His form was sloppy, like he suddenly forgot what he picked up from all those months of staying back for extra practice. Mark and the other basemen tried to cheer him up all throughout the game, Donghyuck coming up to the mound to pat him on the back more than once. But Jaemin knew it was all futile. Their opponent was much stronger than them. 

Jaemin never said anything to Renjun, just looked at him and signed to him in disdain. Jaemin knew the Coach would scold him after the game. All that battery communication bullshit. 

And he did. Jaemin just stays silent as Renjun bows his head in shame.

They went to their accommodations, to a few classrooms that were cleared out just for this baseball camp. Everyone was quieter than usual, but they were still talking. That speech of Coach must’ve worked. 

It had been a long day, what with the travel and with their first game. So, Mark decided to postpone their ‘fun bonding activity’ to the next camp they’ll have which will probably be after the current season. They can still 'bond' in many different ways. Mark says maybe they’ll finally start hanging out after practice after this camp so they should be fine.

As they’re sitting down, all bathed and ready to sleep, Donghyuck decides it’d be a great idea to play Spin the Bottle. 

“Hey! Even if we can’t go out and _partay_ , we can still get to know each other!” Donghyuck says exuberantly, fishing out his water bottle from his pack. “We can play Spin the Bottle! Truth or Dare edition but it’s just Truthㅡ”

Renjun butts in. “That sucks!”

Donghyuck shoots a glare at him before continuing, “It’s harmless fun _and_ we can learn each other’s deepest darkest creepiest secrets!”

“I bet that you’d have lots of these, Donghyuck-hyung,” Chenle comments, smirking.

“Shut up, Zhong,” Donghyuck says jokingly. “We all know that’d be you.”

“Okay, I’m in!” Mark cuts in excitedly. Everyone rushes to sit down in a circle in the middle of the room. Jaemin doesn’t move.

“What’re you doing, Na?” Donghyuck quirks an eyebrow at Jaemin. “Don’t be such a stick in the mud, man! Look, I hate you. But this is a _team_ thingㅡ”

“It wouldn’t hurt to join us, Jaemin,” Mark interrupts Donghyuck again, effectively stopping war from breaking out. Mark smiles at him. Jaemin sighs deeply before entering their circle. He sits beside Renjun, who’s looking at him thoughtfully. He’s still slightly glaring at him, but it doesn’t show as much. 

“Alright, I’ll start first!” Donghyuck spins it.

And the game begins. 

Chenle reveals he used to sing, even going so far as to appear on national television. Jisung reveals that he used to dance and even joined in competitions.

“Bro, we could’ve been famous!” Jisung gasps in wonder at Chenle. 

Chenle laughs. He sounds like a dolphin. “Maybe in another life, we could’ve been!”

Then, they find out that Jeno is actually funny, but kind of likes being not. 

“Why though? Being funny, is like, the best. I mean, look at me. I’m funny,” Donghyuck says.

Jeno nods grimly. “Exactly.”

Everyone bursts out laughing. Jaemin lets out a small smile.

Jeno spins and it lands on Renjun. Renjun grins at Jeno challengingly, “Bring it, Lee Jeno.”

Jeno starts his questioning by saying that the question he’s going to ask isn’t a slight in any way and that he’s genuinely curious. 

“Why do you play baseball?”

Renjun mulls it over for a few seconds, probably not expecting the question to be so serious. “Well… I started playing baseball because of my dad. He was obsessed with baseball but never had the chance to learn it and play it. Of course, he influenced me. We aren’t… well-off, so opportunities to learn it never came. Until I couldn’t bear it anymore and saved some of my allowance to buy a ball, a cheap bat, and a glove. My junior high school didn’t have a team so I practiced with my dad everyday.”

Everyone is listening with rapt attention. Even Donghyuck seems to be affected. Renjun gives them a warm yet sad smile.

“He was so happy when he heard my school would finally have a baseball team and he encouraged me to join. But, well, he died a month before high school started. So, me playing… It’s kind of a promise I made to him.”

The room is quiet. Until Jaemin hears a sniffle. Donghyuck is tearing up. 

“You’re a good son, Jun,” Donghyuck says, hugging Renjun. Renjun awkwardly pats his back but smiles in thanks.

“Your dad would be happy and proud of you, Renjun,” Mark says kindly and genuinely. Renjun smiles at him, thanking him. Then he catches Jaemin’s eye. 

Jaemin looks away, not knowing what to feel or say. 

“Alright! My turn!” Renjun effectively breaks the gloomy atmosphere and spins the bottle. 

Jaemin stiffens when it lands on him. 

“Ohhhhhh,” Donghyuck says under his breath. Jaemin hears it anyway. 

“Na Jaemin,” Renjun starts, his lips forming into a devious smile. “I wonder what I should ask you. Would ‘why are you such an asshole’ be too easy or?”

Donghyuck guffaws. “It would!”

Jaemin frowns and glares at both of them. Maybe he shouldn’t have joined after all. 

“Ah, I know,” Renjun’s smile turns into a scornful smirk. Jaemin readies himself.

“Why did you come here?”

Jaemin knew he’d ask that sooner or later. On the first day of practice, they were told by Coach that he didn’t want them to share anything personal yet, since they were strangers. Jaemin thought he’d never have to. 

Renjun presses on. “I mean, if you’re so amazing at baseball, why did you go to a school who just started forming one?”

Mark must’ve noticed the way Jaemin stiffens because he glances at him warily. Jaemin purses his lips and glares at the long-haired pitcher. He doesn’t want to answer, doesn’t want to cut open a scar in front of so many people, doesn’t want to lay himself bare. But Renjun is looking at him with such fire in his eyes, it could only be a challenge. And Jaemin never backs down from a challenge, especially from a newbie pitcher whose form is unstable and whose pitching is hideous. 

“My parents didn't approve of me accepting offers,” Jaemin says through gritted teeth. “They don’t want me centering my life around baseball. The week after I got scouted, they told me that we had to move because of their jobs. I didn't have a choice. They were happy. I wasn't."

The room goes silent. They didn’t expect Jaemin to be so honest about it. 

Jaemin feels like puking, feels like ripping his hair out and punching a wall. He feels so uncomfortable, like spiders are crawling all over his skin. He takes a deep breath and crosses his arms to stop his hands from shaking. 

“Jaemin,” Mark starts, but before he could continue, Jaemin turns to him and glares. 

"I don’t need your pity,” Jaemin snaps. It comes out harsher than he had intended. Mark falters a little. 

“Hey!” Donghyuck frowns. “Mark was just trying to cheer you up! You didn’t have to be so harsh!”

Jaemin feels his cheeks burn. With fury or embarrassment, he doesn’t know. Maybe both. “Shut up, Lee!”

“No, you shut up!” Donghyuck says, standing up and pointing at him, his lips quirked in a disgusted look. “I’m tired of your crappy attitude, Na! I’ve been holding myself back ever since the first day I met you but I think you really have to work on your shitty personality!"

“Donghyuckㅡ”

Donghyuck ignores Mark. Jaemin looks up at him, unflinching. Donghyuck glares.

“I won’t let you ruin this team like you’d ruined your previous ones. I won’t let you crush Renjun’s dreams like you crushed my cousin’s! You think you’re better than all of us just because you can catch a ball and do weird hand signs and stand on the tip of the diamond like you control the entire field, but let me tell you something, buddy, you’re not! You’re nothing but a gigantic asshole!”

Jaemin feels his hackles rise. He stands up, ready to lash out at Donghyuck when Mark steps in front of him and puts his arms up, stopping him. 

“Jaemin, Donghyuck, please. Calm down. This was supposed to be harmless fun, let’s not get carried awayㅡ”

“Carried away?” Jaemin says incredulously. “ _I’m_ getting carried away? Maybe you should clean your ears because I clearly didn’t start this! Donghyuck attacked me first and you won’t even let me defend myself? Your bias is showing, Cap.”

Mark’s eyes darken. “That’s not what I meantㅡ”

“Sure, Cap, whatever you say,” Jaemin laughs humorlessly. Then he comes up with an idea. “And hey, since you’re really convinced that I’m getting carried away, maybe I should listen to your wish.”

Everyone is silent as Jaemin pads over to the bottle and spins it but before it could spin for too long, he stops it just in time for it to land in Mark’s direction. 

"Oh, wow, lucky me! Just the person I wanted to ask,” Jaemin smirks unkindly at the fuming captain. Mark stares at him with a confused expression on his face. 

“Why did _you_ come here, Mark?” Jaemin asks, his tone low. If he had to be vulnerable in front of the group, then Mark has to as well. Jaemin smirks wider when he spots Mark clench his fist. 

“I saw your games. I saw you win and winㅡ you’re a great player and you led your team really well. And now that I think about it, I did hear some rumors that you were scouted by NCT High. And wow, what a feat, to be scouted by the top baseball team in all of Korea,” Jaemin says sardonically. The team had gasped when he said NCT High. 

Donghyuck and Renjun whip their heads to look at Mark. Jaemin walks until he’s right in front of Mark.

“Why didn’t you take the offer, Mark Lee?” Jaemin says, practically growling. 

Ever since he met Mark, Mark had been all kind smiles and laughter. For the first time since he met Mark, Mark looks at him coldly, his jaw set and his eyebrows knitted in barely concealed anger. Jaemin narrows his eyes. 

Jeno marches up to them and spreads his arms, a hand on each of their chests, pushing them apart. “Hey, that’s enoughㅡ”

“I didn’t take the offer because I couldn’t.”

Jaemin had expected Mark to explode, to show Jaemin that he just wasn't all flowers and sunshine, that he couldn’t possibly be such a patient and kind person. 

Looking at Mark, as the fire dies in his eyes and his body uncoils and starts shaking, Jaemin feels his blood run cold. 

“I...I couldn’t take the pressure of it,” Mark’s voice is quiet as he bows his head. “People were expecting so much from me that I….I broke down. I went out with my friends the day before Coach had planned to accept their offer. And went to the skating park cause… cause, I don’t know! We just wanted to do something fun and I knew I shouldn't have went with them but maybe I unconsciously wanted to destroy my chancesㅡ”

“Stop.”

Mark stops shaking and finally looks up. Jaemin sees the tears threatening to spill from his eyes and quickly looks away, clenching his teeth. It all makes sense now, how Mark runs and how he positions himselfㅡhe's leaning away from an injury. And maybe, he's still yet to recover. Jaemin feels so small, feels so fucking bad.

“Stop, Mark. Just stop,” Jaemin says, almost in a whisper as he feels the flames of his rage dying down. Mark is still staring at him, the light in his eyes still hasn’t made a reappearance. Jaemin wants to scream so he says, in the most genuine tone he can muster, “I’m sorㅡ”

He doesn’t get to fully apologize because Renjun punches him in the face. Mark gasps, Donghyuck squeaks, and Jeno jerks. 

Jaemin stumbles and falls to the floor with Renjun grabbing his collars. Jaemin looks up at him with wide eyes, registers the rage in Renjun’s eyes and the hard lines of his face, and thinks: he deserves this.

“You’re a coward, Na,” Renjun spits in his face. Jaemin continues staring, captured in Renjun’s gaze. 

“You’re a coward and an asshole and I want you to know that I hate your fucking guts.”

He knows. He deserve's this. God, he's such a jerk.

“I know,” Jaemin whispers, a hand reaching up to rest on top of the hand that’s gripping the collar of his shirt. Renjun narrows his eyes but doesn’t let go. 

“I know I’m a coward and a jerk and that you fucking hate me,” Jaemin continues. “And I deserve it.”

Jaemin forcibly pushes Renjun’s hands until they let go of his collar. Jaemin stands up. Renjun’s still sitting down on the floor, blinking at him, stunned for a moment. Jaemin ignores him to stand in front of Mark again, who’s now looking at him warily, wondering what the hell is happening. 

Jaemin feels like a fool, feels those ugly feelings swirl in the pit of his stomach. He gulps and clenches his teeth. Maybe he _is_ a bad person, maybe he _is_ an asshole for taunting Mark like that, maybe he _is_ a jerk for putting Renjun down without even trying to help him.

“I’m sorry,” Jaemin apologizes, averting his eyes. “I got carried away and asked something I shouldn’t have asked.”

Mark stills. Jaemin turns around and catches Donghyuck’s steely gaze. 

“I’m sorry to you and your cousin. I would take everything back if I could.” Donghyuck’s gaze just sharpens.

Then, he turns again to look down at Renjun, who’s staring at him with that same thoughtful expression, the one with expertly concealed hatred. And it’s that same expression that leaves him tongue-tied. It leaves him wondering how forgiving Renjun would be to someone who kept on deprecating him. How forgiving would Renjun be to someone like him? 

So, he looks away. And without another word, leaves the room. 

ㅡ

He finds a bench near the water fountains. 

The night is not too cold and not too warm. It was just the right weather.

He couldn’t possibly face the team ever again. He’d been a grade-A asshole. He’s literally the worst. 

He laughs to himself sarcastically. 

“Having fun?”

Jaemin stops and whips his head to the source of the voice. 

It’s Huang Renjun. He’s fixed his hair. It’s not messy anymore from their tumble to the ground a while ago. It’s in a low ponytail, a few strands falling into his eyes. Under the moonlight, Renjun seems to be glowing. Jaemin quickly looks away and gulps. 

“What are you doing here?”

Jaemin hears the other boy hum. 

“You know what? I don’t know either,” Renjun says as he sits beside Jaemin. Jaemin glances sideways, sees Renjun smiling. His cheeks are slightly pink. Jeamin flicks his eyes away from the boy beside him. 

Their knees are almost touching. 

They’re silent for a while, the both of them gazing up at the bright moon above. The wind is blowing, leaves are rustling and somewhere, a cicada plays a tune.

"I’m sorry,” Jaemin finally says, still looking up at the moon. Renjun doesn’t say anything, so Jaemin pushes on. “I’m sorry I insulted you. I’m sorry I kept on putting you down. I’m sorry for never teaching you. I’m sorry I didn’t believe in you.”

He looks at Renjun. Renjun’s looking back, something inexplicable swirling in the depths of his warm brown eyes. Jaemin takes a deep breath.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t the catcher that I should have been.”

Then he exhales, loudly, pointedly. Jaemin feels Renjun’s gaze burn. “You were rightㅡI am a coward. I’ve always looked for perfection and maybe it’s because I’m so scared of failing and of what might happen when everything is anything but. I’m scared of disappointing myself and others that I don’t even try to _try_.”

He looks deep into Renjun’s eyes and then turns to the front to wring his hands over his knees. He bows his head and whispers, “I’m really sorry for everything I’ve said and done to you, Renjun.”

Renjun’s quiet for awhile. And then:

“Fucking finally.”

Jaemin raises his head so fast, he almost gets whiplash. He stares at Renjun, mouth slightly agape. “What?”

Renjun grins at him, his eyes bright. “I knew you could become a better person, Jaemin.”

Jaemin frowns. 

Renjun chuckles. “I’m sorry as well. For everything I said and did to you. But just because I’m also sorry doesn’t mean I forgive you. You might have to promise me more lessons in pitching if you really want to get to it.”

Jaemin blinks. “You still want to form a battery with me? After everything that’s happened?”

“Especially after everything that has happened,” Renjun nods. “I hate to admit it, but you’re a really amazing catcher, Jaemin. I feel like we can do just about anything with you on the team. Mark, Donghyuck, Jeno, Jisung, and Chenle probably feel the same way too.”

Jaemin stops himself from asking ‘are you sure?’. 

Renjun tilts his head to the side, smiling handsomely. Jaemin just stares wordlessly. Something akin to gratefulness blossoms in his chest. There’s also a fuzzy, soft, and warm feeling in his chest.

“So, come on. Let’s go back to the room and finally get some rest. We have a game to win tomorrow.”

Jaemin lets out a deep breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, stares at Renjun’s sparkling eyes, and then looks back up at the bright Moon.

And breathes.

“Yeah.”

ㅡ

The morning comes and it’s slightly awkward. They’re together but they’re barely interacting.

“What happened to all of you?” Coach Yuta asks them while they’re having breakfast. “Did someone die or something?”

The team looks at Mark, leaving the captain to make the decision whether to tell Coach what had happened last night or not. But before Mark could answer, Yuta speaks up again. 

“Or did someone finally admit their faults and apologize after an intense game of Spin the Bottle?"

Everyone groans. Jaemin’s loses his appetite. _Well, fuck_.

“Coach,” Donghyuck whines. “You were eavesdropping?”

Coach Yuta scoffs. “First rule of baseball camps, boys: have intense, monumental, and game-changing moments outside of the classroom you sleep in. The walls of classrooms are _very_ thin. I suggest you guys have it at the field or something. When lights are out, too, so no one would be able to see you all cry.”

“Ugh. Why are you like this, Coach?” Jisung groans and face-palms. 

“Now, now,” Yuta says, smirking once he’s happy torturing his players. “This is the height of youth! You all should be glad you got to experience something like that!”

Everyone disagrees. It’s loud in the cafeteria and the other teams are looking at them. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Coach!”

Coach Yuta laughs.

ㅡ

“Well, well, well.”

Jaemin stands and looks behind him. 

“If it isn’t the great Na Jaemin.”

Jaemin narrows his eyes at the approaching figure. “Jung Sungchan.”

Jung Sungchan grins darkly at him. “Finally found a team that would tolerate your whiny ass?”

Jaemin glares at him. “Finally found a team that would accept your lousy ass pitching?”

His previous pitcher whistles. “You know, that doesn’t hurt. Maybe because it’s coming from a douchebag like you."

"Why are you here?" 

"Why can't I be here?" 

Jaemin rolls his eyes and opens his mouth to reply when someone interrupts.

“Hey, you!”

Lee Donghyuck is marching towards them, his eyebrows knitted. “Who’re you calling a douchebag, douchebag?”

Sungchan glances at the loudmouthed boy. Then turns back to Jaemin. “I’m surprised you’ve found friends. Though I’m sure they won’t last long once they see you for the jerk that you truly are.”

“Hey, tall guy!” Donghyuck snaps his fingers in front of Sungchan’s face. “Who are you to insult our catcher like that, huh? Only we get verbally abuse him like that! We both know he’s an arrogant prick but still! You don’t have such privilege!”

Jaemin stares wide-eyed at the golden-haired boy.

Sungchan lips twitch as he stares Donghyuck down. And Donghyuck, who never goes down without a fight, stares back. Sungchan breaks contact first to look at Jaemin over Donghyuck’s shoulder. “You’re going down, Na. And I sincerely hope to never see your stupid face ever again.”

He walks away and Jaemin and Donghyuck are left to glare at his back. Donghyuck turns to him as soon as Sungchan is out of earshot.

“What was that all about?" Donghyuck asks, huffing.

"I thought you knew everything about me," Jaemin replies, his tone flat, unable to look at Donghyuck straight in the eyes. 

Donghyuck may be loud but he's definitely not stupid. He narrows his eyes at Jaemin and asks almost mockingly, "Just how many people hate you, Na Jaemin?" 

Jaemin doesn't answer but the question makes him grin. Donghyuck grins back.

ㅡ

It's Renjun's second game, official or not. 

But it’s their first game as a _real_ battery. 

Renjun’s still nervous, that much Jaemin can tell from the other side of the field. He’s standing on the mound, the subtle curve of his brow and the sporadic twitching of his lips a telltale sign that he's going to explode at any given moment. And the match hasn't even started yet.

Jaemin can't have that. _Communicate_ , Coach had told him. 

He remembers the lukewarm night, the moonlight caressing Renjun’s face as he smiles at him, and the duty he now has to the pitcher who will become his partner.

He stands from his position and lifts his helmet, just so Renjun can see his eyes.

"Renjun!" 

The pitcher stiffens before turning to Jaemin, his eyes widening a fraction. Their gazes meet. Jaemin nods and points at Renjun then makes a show of slowly flexing his wrists before punching into his glove.

Renjun doesn't need words. Jaemin watches as the pitcher nods and closes his eyes. He relaxes and takes a deep breath. They're going to have to pitch with a limited arsenal but Jaemin figures they can work with it. Renjun's ball control has improved and his velocity picks up the longer he stays on the field. 

Jaemin looks at Mark, then. Sees him grin at him and give him a thumbs up. Jaemin feels lighter.

Jaemin sneaks a peak up at the leadoff hitter. The batter is tense for some reason, and he’s leaning in too much. Jaemin calls for an inside course, signs for Renjun’s four-seam fastball that he’s slowly making his own. Jaemin sees the potential for him to learn a cutter or a knuckleball. 

Renjun nods, getting into position. His form is graceful and steady. He lifts his arms and knee, then lunges, arm thrown back. 

The batter swingsㅡ _BAM!ㅡ_ and misses. The batter tenses up even more.

Jaemin holds the perfect four-seam fastball in his mitt. Then grins. Renjun is really getting better. And Jaemin will make it his mission to make him the best. 

He stands and throws the ball back at his pitcher.

“Nice pitch!”

Renjun gives him a wide smile. And it’s automatic. Jaemin smiles back just as wide and sits back down. 

Donghyuck is energetic as ever, yelling encouragement at Renjun. Jisung and Chenle are doing the same, some are even directed at Jaemin, teasing him and encouraging him at the same time. Jeno waves an arm all the way from the outfield. 

And Jaemin thinks they might just win it.

**Author's Note:**

> [gulps] yeah what was that about O.O


End file.
